Area athletes advance to state: Bay’s Bechtel places first in two events, Seipel advances again

Bay High School sophomore Olivia Bechtel won the long jump and the 400 to advance to the state meet. Photo – Daniel Ondercin

Track and Field

By Joe Ostrica

Bay High School sophomore track and field standout athlete Olivia Bechtel will represent the Rockets at the Division I track and field state championship this week after winning two events last week. Competing in the Division I Amherst regional meet, Bechtel finished first in the long jump with a distance of 18-8, edging out Kyla Paster of Berea-Midpark (18-7 3/4).

Bechtel won the 400 meter race with a time of 55.58. Southview’s Chelsey Barwiler finished second with a time of 57.63. Magnificat’s Avery Pacella placed third (57.81). Avon Lake’s Lauren Bakitis (seventh, 59.20) and Avon’s Emily Jones (eighth, 59.80) also competed in the race. Bay’s 3,200 relay team took second with a time of 9:23.38.

Rocky River’s Lauren DeVito finished third in the girls 800 with a time of 2:13.99 to qualify. Westlake’s Haley Lyle placed sixth in the shot put with a distance of 37-04. Avon Lake’s Charlotte Ward came in seventh in the 110 hurdles (16.47) and also finished the 300 hurdles with a time of 46.51.

Avon Lake senior Max Seipel placed in the top four in both of the throwing events, taking second in the discus and third in shot put. Seipel will return to state in discus after throwing a distance of 180-01, just behind Fremont Ross’ Jared Ballinger (182-00). Seipel and Ballenger will both compete at Ohio State University next year.

Seipel placed third in the shot put with a distance of 58-10. Ballenger won the shot put with a distance of 60-7. Medina’s Mike Hierholzer took second with a distance of 60-6 ¼.

Westlake’s Daniel Squeri also advances to the state championship meet. Squeri took fourth in the 400 with a time of 49.69. Lima’s Rico Stafford won the race with a time of 48.54, followed by Southview’s Jernard Pinckney (48.97) and Berea-Midpark’s Anfernee Myers (49.26).

Other local boys competing at the Division I Amherst regional included Avon’s Sean Kane (seventh in the 3,200 with a time of 9:37.63), North Ridgeville’s Jason Lucas (eighth in the 300 hurdles with a time of 40.37) and Avon’s Austin Fasciana (eighth in the 1,600 with a time of 4:28.22).

Division II athletes qualify for state

Fairview’s Johanna Ragland finished first in shot put and second in discus to qualify for the Division II track and field state meet and lead area athletes in the Division II Lexington regional. Ragland won the shot put with a distance of 41-5 ¼. She placed second in the discus event with a distance of 119-8.

Brookside’s Tyller Holley finished fourth in the 100 with a time of 12.78 to advance to state.

Lakewood’s Levi Mack was the only area male athlete to advance out of Lexington. Mack took fourth in the 800 with a time of 1:57.46.